Learning How to Walk

Why would you dress your little boy like Hansel?

This is a picture of the famous Peach Lady. She is peeling prickly pears for us to eat. I think I had prickly pear syrup and jam once when I was in Arizona. The flavor of a fresh one is like a apple with the texture of a papaya. Everyone but Emma liked them.

We went to a historical mansion that has free admission, but it was closed for renovations. We went out for a soda and got some free tapas. This time olives and some type of battered and fried fish. Collin told the kids they were fish sticks and they all ate them, even EMMA! I had a peach juice instead of soda, you can only drink so much soda. Later, at another place we had pizza and Leche Rizado which is a milk flavored ice cream covered in cinnamon. It was inhaled so fast I couldn't get a picture of it.

I earned a place in the free Spanish class. The session starts tomorrow and I am excited and terrified at the same time. My kids' feelings of helplessness, confusion and frustration cause more empathy in me than in Collin. I know he understands how we feel, but since he isn't going through it himself it isn't the same. I wanted him to call this lady from church to see if Emma had to be there tonight at 7 or not and he wanted me to call her myself to improve my Spanish. It makes sense, but sometimes I am so afraid of not understanding or sounding like an idiot that it is just easier for him to do the talking. I suggested that maybe he can cook dinner and do the laundry to improve those skills in himself which gave us a both a good laugh. I tried calling the lady from church and I couldn't understand what she was saying and so . . . . I HUNG UP ON HER!!!!! I know, I feel horrible about it. I was just so confused and frustrated and I didn't know what to do. It's like when there is something wrong with your baby and it just cries and cries and you wish it could tell you what's wrong . . . . except, in this case, YOU are the baby and the Spaniards are the parents.

Collin and I got library cards today at the public library. They have movies to check out as well as books, mostly in Spanish. You can check out two movies and two books per card and they hold onto your card until you return the materials you borrowed. Emma and I looked at comic books for about 1/2 an hour. There is a small English book section, but I have read about 1/3 of the books and most of the others don't interest me at all. There are maybe 3 books in English that I want to read. I might donate the five English books I have read on this trip already: Beside a Burning Sea, The Virgin's Lover, An Irish Country Doctor, Words Without Borders, and Transparency. Tales of the Alhambra (which I am reading right now) is basically a description of Granada, the Alhambra and the surrounding area. It is pretty dry, but I feel like I should read it since I am here. I'll probably read Don Quixote as well. I would like to get to the point where I enjoy reading in Spanish, but I am just not there yet.

It seems like all we do is eat, walk and nap . . . kind of like toddlers. I guess that is how I feel about my experience with Spanish language: I can crawl and am just learning how to walk.

(The Next Day)

I was so nervous about my first intensive language class today that I spent the morning gagging. I used to throw up or gag on the first day of school every year. Everyone else was asleep when I left. The language school is about a 15 minute walk from our apartment. The make up of the class with regard to nationally was diverse: 4 Ukrainians, 1 Asian, 4 Americans (including me, although technically I could fit with the Asian group), 2 Europeans (I don't know where they are from), and 1 African.

The class started with descriptive vocabulary and preterite imperfect verb conjugation. We learned how to say stuff like, "When I was a little girl, I had freckles and blonde hair." That first teacher, a Spaniard, also taught us some irregular preterite imperfect verbs: to be, to go, to see.

The next teacher, a Mexican, taught us some vocabulary to help find your way around town: bank, pharmacy, left, right, go straight, corner, cross, etc,. Then she had us take turns asking where something was located and giving directions on how to get there using a map. After class, a man on the street asked me how to get somewhere. Unfortunately, even though I knew how to tell him to go right or left or two blocks, I didn't actually know where the place he was asking about was situated. Bummer!

The last teacher, a Spaniard, taught us how to use preterite perfect as well as some housekeeping terms: to do laundry, to vacuum, to wash dishes, and to sweep the floor. Example: This morning I have swept the floor.

There are 4 classes per session with each class lasting 3 hours. I felt like I did well in class today. I wasn't totally lost, but I didn't already know everything either. I manage to teach my two Ukrainian neighbors how to say to go jogging in spanish: hacer footing.

I wanted to arrange a class for the kids to take, but it is going to cost some money. The secretary at the school said I could take another course in the fall if there was room available. So far, so good.